The Greatest Gift
by Tracy Space Cowgirl
Summary: A future fic- See how the holidays draw Kyle & Isabel together
1. The Greatest Gift

The Greatest Gift   
By Tracy (biancaheart@yahoo.com) 

Rating: PG 

Category: I/K (Sort of), FF 

Summary: I hate doing these- somebody else do it. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell- woo, woo, woo.   


Christmas had always been her favorite holiday. 

She had been adopted right before Christmas, on the 23rd of December- along with her brother Max. The holiday had always seemed so magical- so right. A time when everything could be right, happy, beautiful and bright- that was Christmas. 

This holiday didn't seem so right, happy, beautiful, and bright. 

It was her first holiday alone. Without Jesse. 

She turned the ring on her finger, absorbing the feeling the cold metal. She caught glimpses with her alien powers of the day that her husband placed that ring on her finger. 

She missed him. 

It just wasn't fair. They were young, in love, and things were supposed to go right for them. They were supposed to grow old together. 

He had never known her secret. Isabel had never told him. Max, Michael, and the rest of the alien mafia wouldn't hear of it. Too Risky, they said. Too risky to let another person in on the secret. Hadn't in been risky to let Liz, Maria, Alex, and Kyle in? But they had. 

Jesse had died in a car accident. Instantaneously. Eerily reminiscent of the way Alex had died. This time, however, there had been no alien interference- it was simply the fault of a drunk driver. 

She was a widow. 

The day that he died, Isabel had gotten a wonderful phone call. She was pregnant. 

Jesse never knew. 

She silently patted her stomach, now enormous with baby. A new year, a new Ramirez. 

Isabel reached towards the tree, trying to straighten out an ornament. Her new, front heavy body caused her to fall into the tree. 

"Careful." A pair of strong arms pulled her back. "You gotta be careful for you and little one there." 

"Thanks Kyle." She said, giving him a large hug. "I don't know what I'd do without you." 

Kyle had been living with them for about five months when Jesse died. He was going for a psychology degree at the local university. The new house that Jesse and Isabel bought had a separate apartment over the garage. He paid a slight amount of rent and could come and go as he pleased. It was a bit of comfort for Isabel to have someone within the circle of alien fellowship nearby, this far away from Roswell. Jesse had been offered a new job, with an incredible pay raise. 

After Jesse's death, Kyle had been her lifeline. He moved into the living room, and slept on the couch- something that he'd been used to, he said, after having Tess live with them, back so many years ago. He treated her like a princess. Kyle ran out for midnight cravings, and held her hand during doctor appointments. 

He worked late into the night, pouring over books for his graduate studies. Isabel would fix him coffee, and read a relaxing book to keep him company. When his energy finally waned, Kyle would fall asleep with a book in his hands. 

She laughed extremely hard one night when Kyle had fallen asleep over a copy of "What to Expect When You're Expecting". 

"No problem, Izzy." He said, stroking her blonde again hair. After Jesse died, she couldn't keep it brown anymore. The brown haired Isabel was somebody else- not this woman who was suddenly alone. "That's what friends are for." 

Isabel felt a surge of energy. "Let's bake Christmas cookies!" 

Kyle gave her a look. "Izzy, are you sure you're up to it?" 

She rolled her eyes. "Kyle, I'm just pregnant. Not sick. It's Christmas and I want to cook! I gave up organizing the Christmas pageant this year." 

"If you get tired, you'll lay down?" 

A smile crept onto Isabel's face. "Yes." 

"Point me toward the dough." Kyle said with a sigh. 

*** 

Kyle was leaning over the oven, taking a batch of cookies out when he felt something cold and moist hit his ear. He reached back and touched the top of his ear, and retrieved a wad of cookie dough. 

"Isabel!" He squeaked. 

"What?" She said with a smile. "I'm just stirring the dough." 

"Stirring the dough, my ass!" He laughed. "I'll show you how to stir the dough!" He walked over to the dough bowl and took out a lump. "This" he said, looking at Isabel is how you stir the dough." He shoved the lump into Isabel's face.   
A dough fight ensued, ending with dough everywhere in the kitchen- including all over them. 

Isabel was laughing so hard that she couldn't catch her breath. Kyle helped her to a chair. "You need something to drink?" 

She nodded. 

She felt a swift wave of pain flow through her body. And she was soaked. 

The glass of water slipped out of Kyle's hand when he turned around. 

"Kyle….I think I'm in labor." 

*** 

It wasn't supposed to happen this way. Max and Liz were coming next week- and they had more medical expertise than he did- yes, he was going to graduate school, but it didn't mean that he could deliver a doctor- psychologists were supposed to fix the mind, not deliver babies. 

"Think Valenti, think." He muttered. He'd read up on pregnancy and deliveries. He was twenty-four years old. He could do this. 

He had carried Isabel to the bedroom, and cleaned up the dough from her face and hair, and helped her change into a different outfit- with his eyes shut. 

Isabel's contractions were getting closer and closer together. Kyle picked up the phone and punched in Max and Liz's number once more. 

"If they're on the freakin' Internet…" Kyle muttered. 

"Hello?" Max's voice sounded over the line. 

"Hey, Evans. Merry Christmas. Listen, I need your help. Isabel's in labor." 

***   
Isabel's eyes opened. 

She felt…different. 

Sitting up quickly, she remembered what happened. 

She was a mother. 

She remembered pain- enormous pain- and a baby's cry.   
It was a boy. Kyle said it was a boy. 

She looked over to the other side of the bed. 

Kyle was sleeping with her son in his arms. He looked so angelic- they both did. Kyle was still covered in dough, dried chunks stuck in his hair. Isabel ran her hands over his hair, using her powers to clean him off. 

Moving swiftly and softly, as not to wake Kyle up, she took her son from her arms. 

Tears filled her eyes. He was so beautiful. Two eyes, two little ears, one little nose, ten little fingers, ten little toes…and one….yep, he was most definitely a boy. She could see elements of Jesse in her son- especially in the mouth and in the dark, downy hair that covered his head. 

He needed a name. 

Kyle had spent ages with her, looking over baby names. She hadn't found one that she liked. 

She didn't want another Jesse. Jesse was unique, and special. 

Phone calls- she had to call people- her parents, Max, Michael, Jesse's mother… 

She gazed down at her son's sweet sleeping infant face. 

"Evan" She said in a soft voice. "Evan Ramirez." The perfect name for a combination of Jesse and her. 

But Evan needed a middle name- middle names were important. Her baby needed the best of everything. She would make sure that he had that, too-from this moment on. 

"How ya doing?" Kyle said, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. 

"Great, thanks to you." She smiled. "I've got somebody here that wants to meet you." 

Kyle walked over and picked up the infant. Evan's eyes opened, and the dark brown eyes stared up into Kyle's blue ones. 

"Did you pick a name?" Kyle asked, staring down at the baby. 

"Evan. Evan James Ramirez. Evan because he's an Evans, and James after the man I want to be his godfather- and help me raise him?" 

Kyle smiled. 

"Merry Christmas, Evan." He said, leaning down and giving the boy a kiss on the cheek.   



	2. Home for The Holidays

Home For the Holidays   
by Tracy (biancaheart@yahoo.com) 

Rating PG13 

Category: FF 

Spoilers: Season 3 

Summary: Part 2 of this series. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell, nor any Garth Brooks songsl. Honest.   


He awoke to the obnoxious sound of a dust buster. 

He was really getting sick of that stupid machine. 

Kyle gazed over at the clock. 8:00 in the morning- usually too early to get up on his day off, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. 

Just as if fate was proving him right, a small face suddenly popped up at the side of the bed. 

"Hey Buddy!" He said, picking up Evan. It was hard to believe that he was almost a year old. Kyle couldn't get enough of Evan- he was more entertaining than X-box, the NBA, and the NFL combined. It had been an amazing year- watching him change and grow from this tiny scraggly thing to a full fledged human being. 

He'd moved downstairs into the guest room after Evan was born. Isabel's room was next to his, and Evan's bedroom was across the hall. Kyle had done the late night diaper changes, the colic filled nights, and all else that came with having a baby. 

Kyle couldn't have loved Evan more if he was his own son. 

At times, he felt like Evan was his son. But Isabel did a good job of keeping Jesse's memory alive. She kept pictures of Jesse in the living room, and played videos of him, so that Evan would get to know his father. 

As soon as Evan had learned to walk, which seemed remarkably early- Isabel was convinced that it had to do with the alien factored in intelligence- he had been extremely mobile. Evan had explored the entire house, often with at least one frustrated adult chasing after him. 

Evan's favorite place to explore was Kyle's room. 

His favorite habit as of late was to sneak up on a sleeping Kyle and wake him up- but the dust buster had beat him to the punch today. 

"KY!" Evan squealed. "Up!" 

Kyle took a deep breath. "Yeah, yeah buddy, I'm getting up. Does your Mommy know that you're scooting around?" 

Kyle placed Evan carefully in the center of the bed. He walked over to the closet and pulled a t-shirt out and shrugged it on. "Time to go, get some breakfast, righty-o?" 

Isabel smiled and put down the dust buster when she saw Evan and Kyle approaching. "I see you got him to wake up, Evan." 

"Ha, Ha, Ha, Isabel." Kyle said, placing Evan in the booster seat, grabbing two bowls and a box of Cheerios, and a bottle of Tabasco. Kyle poured the cheerios and spritzed a tiny bit of Tabasco on each bowlful. He added milk and a spoon to one, and then carried both to the table. 

Evan smiled and dug into the milkless one. 

"Have you moved your stuff out yet?" Isabel asked, delving into the refrigerator. 

"Not yet, I just woke up!" 

"My parents, and my mother in law will be here soon!" She squealed. 

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Not for eight hours!" 

"Only eight?" She said, a crinkle appearing on her porcelain face. "I'm behind schedule!" 

"Oh please, Isabel. The department of sanitation hasn't come up with a numerical score HIGH enough for this house. If you don't calm down soon, this house will spontaneously combust." 

"Fine. Then I'm going to go get your stuff and take it to the apartment." 

"Some of that stuff is valuable!" 

"I won't hurt 'Jugs'." 

"I only get it for the articles." 

"Yeah, right." 

*** 

"Not knowing exactly where he's going, where he's coming from, or where he's been, Godzilla comes to town to conquer all! Run, Run if you can…Bwhahahha!" 

Evan squealed, trying to get away from Kyle, his rubbery baby legs moving as fast as they could go. Kyle crawled after him, making all sorts of snarling and roaring noises. 

"Um, hello?" 

Kyle looked up, and blushed when he saw the older lady standing there. 

Jesse's mother. 

"Um, hi Mrs. Ramirez." 

"Hello..Kevin was it? Helping Isabel baby sit?" 

"It's Kyle. And I live here…um, up above the garage. I help raise Evan, and I live in the apartment." 

"Oh." A look of disgust was evident on her face. 

"Kyle!" Diane Evans, her face lighting up. "How are you buddy? It's so great to see you." She walked over and gave Kyle a great big hug. "So how are you doing? School going well? Oh, and I have stuff from your father that he asked us to bring…Phillip are you bringing those things?" 

Phillip Evans was hidden under a pile of gifts. "I don't know. We didn't exactly leave anything in the store." 

"Mom! Dad!" Isabel shouted, impeccably dressed as always. 

*** 

He couldn't sleep. 

His Dad would say it was nothing more than his usual Christmas excitement. Kyle hadn't slept well on any of the twenty five Christmas Eves he had experienced. When he was little it was the excitement of Christmas- but now- he just didn't know. 

The last two days had been a nightmare. Pilar Ramirez hated his guts. 

In front of the Evanses and Isabel, she was nothing but polite. But when he was alone with her, she would say nasty things- little comments about how he wasn't fit to be a father, or about how Evan deserved a better role model. 

He pulled on a T-shirt and a robe and headed down the stairs to the kitchen. Kyle missed the squeaky fifth step by doing a quick, bunny sort of hop over it to the fourth one. A cold glass of frothy milk with just a delightful hint of green Tabasco was calling his name. 

Kyle sat down at the kitchen table with a deep sigh of relief. Maybe this would help- and he would be blissfully put to sleep. He'd take Ny-quil, but alien sensibilities couldn't handle it. Just another thing the alien invasion had changed for him- his tolerance for good quality cold medicine. 

"Just what are you doing down here?" 

The little hairs on the back of Kyle's neck raised. It was her. Why did it have to be her.   
"I came down here for a glass of milk." 

Why at 25, was he having to explain himself to this woman? 

"You don't have your own milk?" 

"I live here. I'm allowed to drink the milk." 

Pilar huffed. "Well, I don't think you should live here." 

Kyle's eyes widened. "Excuse me?" 

"It's not proper! My precious baby grandson being brought up in a house with two unmarried people. Not to mention that you are taking the place that my Jesse should have had." 

"I'm Evan's godfather! I don't know what you think about me, but I was actually pretty close friends with your son. He invited me to stay here- and after his death I stayed to help Isabel. Did you expect her to raise him on her own?" 

"I expected her to move back to Roswell. To family. Where Evan could be raised properly and gain his full cultural influence." 

"Well, he's not." 

"He could be." Pilar's lips were drawn up into a twisted smile. "I could take Isabel to court and gain custody. Of course, I wouldn't feel lead to if I felt little Evan was in a safe environment. 

Kyle's stomach felt like lead. 

*** 

It was Christmas night. Everyone else was downstairs, eating fruitcake and singing carols. 

Kyle had made his excuses and withdrawn to his room. 

He'd finished packing, and with two more words, he'd be done with this note. And Kyle Valenti would live at 657 Maple Road no more. He couldn't let Isabel even be threatened with the loss of Evan. 

Stuffing the last of his limited boxes up into the back of the truck, he gazed at the house. 

A silent tear fell down his cheek as he revved up the car and said goodbye to the house that had become his true home. 

*** 

"_Hark the Herald Angels sing, glory to the newborn king…_" Isabel sang as her father plunked out notes on the piano. This was Christmas. This was why she loved Christmas. 

Then she heard a car in the driveway rev up and pull away. Kyle's car. 

"That's weird…" she muttered. 

"Oh, honey, he probably went off to meet some friends." Diane said, petting her daughter's shoulder. 

"Right." Isabel pasted a smile on her face and went back to the carol sing. Kyle had friends? 

*** 

It was 2:30 in the morning, and Kyle still hadn't come home. Isabel watched the nearly muted TV, spouting advertisements for the buttsizer or some POS like that. He had to be okay. He had to be. Jesse was late coming home, and he never came home. Alex never made it to the Crashdown. 

If she lost Kyle….No….No, she couldn't think about that. Loosing Kyle must be an impossibility. She needed him. He was her best friend- if she lost him… 

Phone numbers. If Kyle had some friends nearby, he would have a telephone book, she could call and see if he was okay- and he wouldn't mind her snooping, because it would be for the best of everyone involved, right? 

She tiptoed on the stairs, remembering to hop over the fifth creaky step. 

She felt like Mulder or Scully, or even Maria snooping through Michael's mess of an apartment. 

It was clean- amazingly clean. Granted, he'd only moved in the day before, but it was sparkling- nothing was left. 

He…wasn't coming back. 

On the bed, there was one solitary piece of paper. On it were a few lines of Kyle's familiar chicken scrawl…   


**_Isabel---_**   
**_This is one of the hardest notes I've had to write. I'll miss you more than I can say- you are my best friend in each and every sense of the word. It has been wonderful to live here with you and help you through the tough times._****__**

**_I love Evan like he's my son. Please know that. He's an angel, and I marvel at the way I see his mother in him every day. It seems hard to believe I won't be around to see any other of his growing up._****__**

**_Isabel, the time has come that you need to be on your own. You need to go your way, and I must go mine. I'm glad that I could be here with you-_****__**

**_Maybe our paths will cross again one day. You never know._****__**

**_Love,_**   
**_Kyle_**   


She sat on the bed and cried. She knew that she was annoying with the dust buster, and that Evan was very mischievous- but she never thought Kyle would leave. 

Coming back down the stairs, she was so upset that she didn't notice the fifth step, and it squeaked beneath her. 

She didn't care. 

Isabel put a cup of water in the microwave in order to make hot tea. She sat down at the table and waited for the buzzer. 

It went off and she didn't get up. 

About a minute later, a pair of hands came and handed her the mug. "Here you go, Isabel." 

"Oh, thank you Pilar." 

"Couldn't sleep? Or is Evan being a noisy boy?" 

"Evan's fine. I have some thinking to do." 

"About?" 

"Kyle left." 

"Ah, the hired hand?" 

"He's not a hired hand." Isabel snapped. "He's my best friend. And all of a sudden, he just up and leaves, without saying anything, and I wonder why." 

"Ah, the boy took my advice." 

"Your ADVICE?" 

"I didn't think he was an appropriate role model for my grandson." 

"APPROPRIATE ROLE MODEL? Evan is my son and I will choose who will be a role model to him and who won't be. This is my house and I will not have you run it!" 

"I'm only trying to keep the memory of my son alive!" 

"I loved Jesse. I still do. He was great friends with Kyle- he was the one that invited him to live with us. And I know- without a doubt that he would be happy with the way his son is being raised. So I say to you, do not mess in my house, Pilar. You are welcome to see your grandson, but you are not welcome to control our lives." 

Isabel stormed out of the room and picked up her son, and dressed him in warm clothes. Then, carrying the letter and Evan, she stormed out to the car. 

She touched the letter and closed her eyes. This HAD to work. 

The images in her brain swirled, and then she saw Kyle. He was driving in the mustang, singing along to the radio. 

_"Oh I've got friends in low places, where the beer drowns and the whiskey chases, something something something, to the oooooasssis, oh I've got friends in low—hey that's my turn!"_

The sign for The Happy Valley Inn appeared infront of Isabel. She buckled up and stepped on the gas. 

*** 

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK_

Who in the hell knew he was here? Kyle grudgingly got out of bed. It was raining- appropriate for the way he felt. Life was bleak, and he knew it. 

He couldn't believe his eyes when he looked through the spy hole. 

"Isabel?" He said, opening the door. "What are you doing here?" 

"Getting you to come back." She said, stepping inside from the rain. "Getting you to come home." 

"Is….I can't." 

"I know what Pilar said." 

"She threatened to take Evan from you." 

Isabel scowled. "She can just try. My parents are lawyers." 

"But maybe she's right." 

"She isn't." 

"Isn't she?" 

"I need my best friend." 

"Do you?" 

"How am I supposed to say it Kyle? My life is a thousand times better with you there. You make me laugh when I feel like crying. You know when I want to fix dinner, and you know when to call out for pizza. I need you, Kyle. And Evan needs you. You're our family." 

"Really?" 

She reached over and gave him a hug. "Really. Now let's go home." 

"And if I don't come?" 

"I'll follow you to the ends of the universe and pester you to come home." 

"You would, too, wouldn't you?" 

"C'mon." She said, giving him a great big hug. "We have to go blow out the candles on Evan's birthday cake." 

"Oh do we?" 

"It's a must." 

Kyle smiled. He was going home.   



	3. Some Assembly Required

Some Assembly Required   
By Tracy (biancaheart@yahoo.com) 

Rating: PG 

Category: FF 

Spoilers: Season 3 

Summary: Part 3 of the Greatest Gift series 

Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell…but I'd buy it if they let me.   
  


"What is that?" Isabel exclaimed as Kyle carried a large rectangular box into the house. 

"It's a surprise." He said, his face gleaming. 

"For who?" 

"For the birthday boy." 

"He's in the living room watching TV! Be quiet or he'll hear you!" 

"I'll run it up to the apartment, okay?" 

Isabel sighed. "Yeah, right, okay, whatever." 

"Oh, don't be a grinch!" 

"I'm not a grinch! I'm like Mrs. Christmas." 

Kyle rolled his eyes. "More like the Christmas Nazi!" 

"Hey." 

*** 

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight." Kyle closed the book. Evan was soundly sleeping in his arms. His black hair was stuck out like a halo around his head. "Izzy, I think he's asleep." 

"I'll take him." Izzy picked him up. "I can't believe how big he's getting." 

"Two. Two years ago." Kyle said. "Has it really been that long?" 

"I know. I feel like he should still be an infant- it doesn't seem like that much time has gone by." 

"Want some coffee?" 

She shook her head. "Hot Chocolate?" 

"With 3.5 marshmallows exactly?" 

"But of course." Isabel smiled. "I better get this little one to bed." 

"Yeah, before he wakes up and we have to put him to sleep again." 

"Kyle!"   
"It's happened before!" 

"Yeah…but…" 

"It happened tonight!" 

Isabel kissed her son's forehead. "Yeah, isn't it wonderful?" 

*** 

She sniffed the minty aroma of the hot chocolate just before taking a sip. It was truly a divine beverage. 

"So, Kyle." 

He matched her facial manners and tone exactly. "So, Isabel." 

"What's in the box?" 

"Wait and see." 

Kyle quickly ran up the stairs and came down with the bulky box. He ripped it open and dumped out the contents. 

"It's a bunch of nuts and bolts." 

"Ah, but it's a bunch of nuts and bolts with some cardboard." 

"Are you sure this is safe for a two year old?" 

"Isabel, it's Billy Bunny's Clubhouse. Just the coolest toy this side of…anywhere. This is the hot toy this Christmas season." 

"Evan has plenty of toys! You helped me pick them out, Kyle." 

"I want him to have a good Christmas." 

"And he will." 

"I want it to be special. Poor boy has the bad luck to be born on Christmas." 

"And that's bad because?" 

"There are two days every year when people get loads of presents- 1. Their Birthday, and 2. Christmas. Evan's are both on the same day. Meaning people would want to stiff him and give him less gifts, simply because he's born on Christmas. And that little boy doesn't deserve to be cheated out of anything. 

Isabel shook her head. "I don't know whether to call you insanely sweet or amazingly stupid." 

Kyle shrugged. "A little from column A, a little from column B. So you'll help?" 

"I have a choice?" 

"Well, no…" 

"Hand me a screwdriver." Isabel sighed. "I knew I should have taken the coffee." 

*** 

Kyle sighed in relief. 

It was 4:30 in the morning, and Billy Bunny's Clubhouse was finally standing tall and beautiful. 

His eyes felt like lead. He couldn't remember ever feeling more tired. Fighting Aliens was less exhausting than building this monstrosity. 

Isabel had been sleeping for the last hour or so on the couch. He'd covered her up with a throw blanket and continued hooking Billy's ears into the top socket of the house. Crazy rabbit ears. 

Kyle climbed up onto the couch, grabbed a pillow and stole half of Isabel's blanket. Sleep quickly came, and he could feel himself falling down, down, down, into a blissful spiral of relaxation. 

"It's Christmas! Santa Claus has been here! Santa!" Evan ran the whole way from his room to the living room. He climbed up onto the couch and started to bounce up and down. "Momma! Ky! Santa has been here! WAKE UP!" 

Both adults sat up with a start. 

"Evan, honey, don't scare Mommy like that!" Isabel said, smoothing his hair. 

"It's Christmas." 

"Yes, I know. Kyle, tell me that clock doesn't say what I think it says." 

"You don't want to know." 

She sighed. "Let's open the presents." 

*** 

Isabel smiled, happy that Evan had just been put down for a nap. 

Now she could take a nap. 

She loved her son incredibly, but didn't care for the early morning Santa expedition. 

Kyle was passed out on the couch. He'd barely been able to keep his eyes open during the present exchange. Sleep had overcome him while watching some football game, while holding his squirming sports buddy in his arms. 

Isabel adjusted the blanket that he'd pulled off and settled down into the comfy recliner chair. She'd never tell Kyle the revelation she'd had earlier this afternoon- he'd never have to know. 

They could have used their alien powers to put together Billy Bunny's Clubhouse. 


	4. Mistletoe

Mistletoe   
By Tracy (biancaheart@yahoo.com) 

Rating: PG 

Category: FF, K/I 

Spoilers: Season 3 

Summary: Another chapter in the unfolding "The Greatest Gift" series. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell. Why would I write fan fiction if I did? 

Why had she ever put the mistletoe up? It…it threatened everything. Everything would change. Her world was twisted, turning, she couldn't find a soft place for her feet to sit. Everything was reeling. Everything had started to make sense, fit together like a perfect jigsaw puzzle. This would change the puzzle; change it forever. 

How had she gotten here? 

It had started simply. For the first time since Jesse's death, she'd wanted to throw a party. A party for her friends and Kyle's friends. A grownup party with real intellectual conversation that had absolutely nothing to do with Sesame Street. She'd spent hours looking over her Martha Stewart and Better Homes and Gardens books and magazines, and hours shopping in Wal-Mart. Alien powers made the actual process quicker, as did Kyle's offer to baby sit Evan while she was decorating. 

The party was set for Christmas Eve. 

But on the 23rd, that went horribly wrong. 

Evan wouldn't eat, and he was very fussy. He threw blocks at Kyle instead of playing, and clung to Isabel and wouldn't let go. 

"Kyle!" She yelled. "Would you come get him?" 

"Sure thing." Kyle came in and picked up the three year old, disentangling him from her legs. Evan was hot to the touch. "Iz- does he feel hot to you?" 

"Hot?" Isabel touched her son's forehead. "Yeah. He does." 

"We better take his temperature." 

Evan whimpered. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no." 

Isabel tried not to panic. "We don't get sick, not Max, Michael, and I. Except for when Michael got sick, but that was alien related and he was much, much, older." 

"Isabel." Kyle said putting a hand on her shoulder. "Evan isn't just like you. He has more human in him than you do. Jesse was a full human, you're a hybrid- it makes sense. It's probably just a little something. We'll give him some baby Tylenol and a bath and make a call to Max. And if that doesn't work, we'll risk taking him to the emergency room." 

"Evan no feel good." He whimpered from his place on Kyle's shoulder. 

"Shhh." Kyle soothed, wiping back his hair from his forehead. "It will be okay, Evan. I promise." 

"Isabel, draw up a lukewarm bath. I'll give him medicine and get him ready." 

Kyle took off Evan's jumper and underpants. A bright red rash was all over his stomach and legs. 

"Iz, come here." Kyle called. "I think he's got the Chicken pox." 

"My son is turning into a chicken?" 

Kyle chuckled. "No, no. It's a common human childhood disease. I had it when I was little. We'll have to give him plenty of fluids, and watch the temperature, but besides being itchy he should be okay." 

"Really?" Isabel said, playing with her son's hair. 

"Really. We'll get through this together, okay?" 

"Okay." 

*** 

So instead of going out to buy sophisticated alcoholic beverages and finger foods, Kyle went out to buy baby beverages, oatmeal bath, calamine lotion, and gloves. 

The fever had broken by Christmas, but Evan was still weak. He spent most of the day watching Disney movies on the TV. 

He fell to sleep early that night, and the adults found themselves with a bit more quiet time than they had expected. 

"Of all the times for him to get sick." Isabel sighed. "I spent all that time decorating and all that money on a new dress for nothing." 

"Not necessarily." 

"Kyle, the holidays will be over by the time Evan's better." 

"We can have our own little party, now, if you want." He said softly. "I mean, the decorations are still up, and you can put on the dress, and it might be fun." 

Isabel beamed. "I'll be right back." 

*** 

She felt like a princess. The black dress was sparkly, and hugged her body in all the right places. Isabel didn't feel like a mother in this dress- she felt like a woman. 

Kyle had dimmed the lights and turned on some soft music. 

"Can I have this dance?" 

"Yes." She said simply, as Natalie Cole's Unforgettable came on. 

Kyle was her best friend. Early in High School, before what Kyle deemed "The Alien Invasion" they had ran in the same circles. Kyle as the jock King and Isabel as the social queen- but they never talked. They truly hadn't talked, and definitely didn't click until after Alex died. 

Alex. It seemed like a lifetime ago that Alex was here. A small part of her would always be in love with him- your heart never forgets your first love. Alex was young, eternally seventeen. 

She wasn't seventeen anymore. 

Isabel went on after Alex died, and survived the best she could. She met Jesse. She fell in love again, felt herself come back to life again. She got married. Then she lost Jesse- and gained Evan. 

She didn't realize how much of her had died when Jesse did. Isabel focused on the baby she was carrying, then on raising Evan. She'd forgotten what it was like…to feel. For so long she had numbed herself, kept herself so she wouldn't feel. 

But the gentle touch of Kyle's hand on her back, twirling her around the living room threatened all of that. 

She looked into Kyle's face and did not see her best friend, who helped her raise her son. She saw Kyle as she'd never seen him before. A gorgeous man with a heart of gold. She was going crazy. This wasn't like Isabel- she thought each and every decision over carefully, weighing the odds, trying to make the best choice. She didn't just leap- make decisions without carefully weighing the pros and cons…except for once- except for Jesse. 

A girl who could keep herself guarded until her heart came into play. A woman who could not deny love, no matter how much she wanted to. 

It was a most dangerous game. 

Kyle- how could she be living in the same house with a man that handsome and not even notice it? Not to mention the way he'd taken care of both her and Evan- it only made him more appealing. There was no doubt about it, she was falling for the man next door…uh the man in the next room. 

He dipped her, and Isabel felt a bubble of laughter build up in her stomach. She gazed up at the ceiling. 

Mistletoe. 

She'd bought Mistletoe for the party. 

She hadn't taken it down. 

And now she was under the mistletoe with Kyle. 

It could ruin everything. What if…what if the kiss went badly? What if they got into a relationship and they couldn't make a go of it? What would Evan do with out Kyle around? But what if she didn't- what if he left to marry some other girl and raise children with her? Her heart would break, and it had just come alive again. 

"Uh, Kyle?" She said in a cautious voice. She was going for it. 

"Yeah, Is?" His voice was a tad on the husky side. 

"Well, um, yeah…we're under the mistletoe?" 

Kyle gazed up and looked at the ceiling. A spark seemed to ignite in his eyes. 

Slowly, agonizingly slow, he bent down and covered her lips with his. 

She was flying, flying among the stars. It was a new and heady feeling. It was a feeling that she rather liked. 

As soon as the kiss was over, she leaned up and kissed him again. 

Christmas Eve passed into Christmas Day as Kyle and Isabel embraced under the mistletoe.   



	5. A Valentine's Day To Remember

A Valentine to Remember   
By Tracy (biancaheart@yahoo.com) 

Rating: PG 

Category: K/I, FF 

Spoilers: Season 3 

Summary: A special Valentine's day addition to the series. 

Disclaimer: "Valentine" is by Martina McBride. I own neither it nor Roswell, okay?   


He was so the man. 

It was Valentine's Day- well almost- and he had a girlfriend. It was the first time in YEARS that he could say so. 

So as he walked through the mall with Evan, he couldn't help but strut. 

He had a girlfriend, and it was Isabel. Izzy. 

They'd known each other ever since she hatched- in a small town like Roswell everyone new everyone else. That was how things were. They'd grown up in the same social circle, the "in-crowd". It wasn't until after Alex died that they became real close friends. And after Jesse died… 

It had taken them 4 years, 4 years of living in the same house. 1,460 days. 35,040 hours. 2,102,400 seconds. And then, they finally kissed. 

He loved her. He'd known that without a doubt, since New Years Eve, December 31, 2001. He'd resolved to spend 2002 getting over her. That was one resolution he couldn't keep. 

And now, after love's long chase, she was his. Isabel greeted him at the door with a breathstopping kiss instead of a mere hug. And now, more than ever, they couldn't wait for Evan to go to bed- that was when the "fun" started. 

Kyle leaned down and picked up Evan, hoisting him unto his shoulders. "So what do you think Mommy wants for Valentine's day, Evan?" 

"Truck!" 

Kyle chuckled. "That's what Evan wants." 

"Mommy might like truck, too." 

"How about this bear?" Kyle pointed to a white plush bear. 

"Well…okay." Evan said after a few minutes of consideration. "Can we get a truck now?" 

**** 

It was perfect. 

Exactly what he wanted to get Isabel. The perfect gift. 

He smiled down at the bag in his hand. 

This would be a magical Valentine's day to remember. 

He looked down at Evan, who was holding his new truck, courtesy of Kyle Valenti, the original softy. "Now Evan, we don't tell Mommy about Ky's gift, okay? It's a surprise. No telling." Kyle said, putting his hands to his lips. 

Evan giggled and mimicked Kyle's stance. "No telling!" He squealed. 

*** 

Somebody was kissing him- and it was a deep kiss. Talk about your dreams….and then Kyle woke up. 

And he was being kissed. 

Isabel was sitting on the side of the bed, leaning down over him. 

"Ah, so Sleeping Beauty finally wakes up, huh?" 

He was speechless. 

Isabel laughed at his expression. "I thought I'd replace your alarm clock this morning." 

"You can replace my alarm clock every morning." Kyle said, drawing her closer. 

Their lips touched and once again they were caught in their own little world. 

And as it often was, it was interrupted by Evan. 

"HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. In his small arms, he was carrying two wrapped packages. 

"And how did you get those?" Isabel laughed. 

"Do we really want to know?" Kyle replied. 

Evan handed one package to Isabel. Inside was the plush teddy bear that he'd picked out with Kyle, along with a homemade card. 

The other package he handed to Kyle. Kyle ripped the paper open. Inside was a plaster imprint of Evan's handprints, offset in a heart. 

"It's beautiful. Thank you, Evan." He said, giving the small boy a hug and kiss. 

"Breakfast?" Isabel asked. 

"As long as it's not French Toast." Kyle replied, thinking of the culinary disasters that Isabel had whipped up in the past. 

"I got donuts." 

*** 

"Woo-hoo, pretty boy." Todd, one of Kyle's coworkers exclaimed. 

"What sort of crack are you on?" 

"You got flowers. Isn't that like a girlie thing?" 

"Where?" 

"They're over there on your desk." 

Kyle walked over to his desk, and smiled when he saw the bouquet of roses. A small card was tied onto the vase. 

Happy Valentine's Day to my best Valentine- my Valenti Valentine.—Isabel 

Kyle strutted around the rest of the day, a shit eating grin on his face.   
*** 

_If there were no words, No way to speak,_   
_I would still hear you._   
_If there were no tears, No way to feel inside,_   
_I'd still feel for you.___

_And even if the sun refused to shine,_   
_Even if romance ran out of rhyme._   
_You would still have my heart until the end of time,_   
_You're all I need, my love, my Valentine.___

_All of my life, I have been waiting for,_   
_All you give to me._   
_You've opened my eyes,_   
_And showed me how to love unselfishly.___

_I've dreamed of this a thousand times before,_   
_But in my dreams I couldn't love you more,_   
_I will give you my heart,_   
_Until the end of time..._   
_You're all I need, my love, my Valentine.___

_And even if the sun refused to shine,_   
_Even if romance ran out of rhyme,_   
_You would still have my heart until the end of time._   
_'Cause all I need is you, my Valentine,_   
_You're all I need, my love, my Valentine._   


Later on that night, they danced, serenely happy in each other's arms. Dancing was a hobby of theirs- perhaps because the first time they kissed came during what seemed at the time an innocent dance. 

Isabel had the living room decorated, rose petals all over the floor, and this song playing in the background. It was beautiful. And the words—they expressed exactly how he felt for Isabel. 

As the song ended, Kyle kissed Isabel—a sensation he doubted he'd ever get sick of. "So do you want your present?" 

"Yes!" Isabel said, enthusiastically. "Of course I do! Do you think you get all the spoiling on Valentine's Day or something?" 

"Well, it is nice…." 

"Kyle!" 

He reached behind his back- how he'd been hiding anything there, she'd never know, and pulled out a beautiful purple rose. It was, large, larger than most roses were, and still closed. 

"I wish it was open." She said wistfully. 

"Use your powers." 

"Powers?" 

Kyle shot her a "duh" look. "Yeah. Alien type, you know?"   
She smiled and placed her hand over the bloom. 

A diamond solitaire ring fell into her other hand. "Oh, Kyle." She exclaimed, tears in her eyes. 

Kyle dropped down to his knees. "Isabel, would you marry me?" 

"I…I…." 

Thousands of images whirled through Isabel's head. Alex. Jesse. Kyle. It was too soon, wasn't it? Too soon since Jesse died…she remembered dreamwalking Jesse. She remembered New Years Eve With Kyle, and Christmas…him with Evan…the way his lips felt on hers. 

She would say no. She couldn't…not now… 

"I…I…I…Yes." She felt happy. Blissfully happy. 

"You will?" Kyle said, happy tears flowing out of her eyes. 

"Yes. Nothing would make me happier than being your wife." 

Kyle kissed his fiancé. 

"I love you, Isabel." 

"I love you, Kyle."   
  



	6. I'll Be Home for Christmas

I'll Be Home For Christmas   
by Tracy (biancaheart@yahoo.com) 

Rating: PG 

Category:K/I, FF 

Spoilers: Season 3- A Tale of Two Parties 

Summary: The next part 

Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell. Wish I did, though.   


"Momma! Momma!" 

"Yes, Evan?" 

"It's snowing, and I'm almost four." 

Isabel leaned down and hugged her son. "I know. Go watch the snow fall and tell me when Daddy Kyle drives up, okay?" 

"Okay. Can I have a cookie?" 

Isabel chuckled. "One, but that's IT until after dinner. Now scoot." 

She smiled as Evan ran out into the living room. It was December 23rd, and soon Kyle would be home. Everything would be perfect. 

The phone rang and she ran over to get it before Evan. He hadn't exactly mastered the art of talking on the phone yet. Evan would answer the phone, say hi, and then slam it down- not exactly a good thing when you needed to have an important adult conversation. 

"Izzy?" Kyle's voice sounded uncertain over the phone wire. 

"Yeah." She said. 

"Good. This is important, and I was afraid you were Evan." 

"What's up?" 

"Well…ummm…" Kyle sounded nervous. "The airport's snowed in. I'm not going to be able to get out of Houston tonight." 

Isabel groaned. "It's like New Year's Eve all over again." Her first husband, Jesse had been held up in Houston back in 2001. She'd ended up scrapping the romantic night and spent the night with her best friend, Kyle Valenti. 

"I'll do everything I can to get there in time, honey. I swear." 

"I know, I know." 

"Say hi to Evan for me." 

"Sure." 

"I've gotta go because there's like a mile long line behind me, okay? I love you, Izzy. To the ends of the universe. I love you."   
"Love you, too." 

She hung up the phone and sat down at the table. She wouldn't cry. She wouldn't. But oh how she wanted to. There must be some gigantic cosmic joke. 

This Christmas was supposed to be perfect. It was their first Christmas together, as a real family. A year ago, on Christmas, she and Kyle shared their first kiss. They became engaged on Valentine's day, and were married on the fourth of July. Her first Christmas with Kyle was supposed to be perfect. On Christmas Eve, they were supposed to slow dance like they did last year. He was supposed to be there to hold her and watch Evan open his gifts. 

He wasn't supposed to be in Houston, miles away. 

He was supposed to be here. 

Isabel picked up the phone. All her zest for cooking dinner had disappeared. 

"Hello, Dominos?" 

*** 

"Momma when will Santa Claus be here?" 

"In a bit, Evan honey. After you go to sleep." 

"Okay." He paused for a second. "When will Daddy Kyle be home?" 

"Hopefully, soon." Isabel sighed and looked out the window. The heavy snow falling down caused her to doubt the validity of his words. Would they have a Kyle-less Christmas? 

"Can we watch a movie?" Evan said, his brown eyes glowing. 

"Sure." Isabel said, staring up at the clock. 

Kyle had five hours to fight through the snow in order to get home in time for Christmas. 

*** 

The door creaked open. 

He shook the snow that had accumulated on his way into the house off his shoulders. Man, was it snowing. 

His Juliet was asleep on the couch, curled up with another man.   
He chuckled and walked over to his wife. 

Her eyes opened as Kyle awoke her with a kiss. 

"You're home!" Isabel squealed, jumping up and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. 

Kyle laughed. "Yeah, and with five minutes to spare." 

"I'm so happy to be home. But how did you get home through all that snow?" 

"Would you believe a nuclear powered burro?" 

"Nope." Isabel said kissing his cheek. 

"I rented a car- more like some sort of monster truck. It broke down, and then I rode a bus, and then I rented another car and ended up here." 

"And we get to spend Christmas together." She sighed. "Our first Christmas." 

"As a married couple, yeah, but we've been friends for years." 

"But it's special this year…" 

"Isabel, to you every Christmas is special." Kyle's attention shifted to the TV. "You're watching OUR movie?" 

Isabel felt heat rush to her cheeks at Kyle naming it "their movie." 

"I mean, I come home and I find you curled up with another man?" 

"He found an opportunity and he took it. Lesson is, never leave me alone." 

"Noted, Mrs. Valenti. Noted." Kyle loosened his grip on his wife and dug down into his messenger bag. "But I brought goobers." 

"Then I guess you're forgiven." Isabel said, drawing him closer again. "I love you, Kyle." 

"I love you too, Isabel. I have for a long time." 

"Oh?" 

"I fell in love with you a long time ago. You're an intoxicating woman, you know that?" 

"What are you talking about, Kyle?"   
"I fell in love with you the first time we watched this silly movie. That night…when we went looking for Engima but never found it?" 

"But I was married." 

"I never acted on it." Kyle pulled away from her. "It was like, you know how Max had feelings for Liz for all those years? For the first time, I understood what that felt like- to love someone, to want to be with them, but not to be. To admire them from afar like some sort of Cyrano." 

"What if Jesse didn't die? Would you still be lusting over me?" 

Kyle's shoulders drooped. "To tell you the truth, I gave up on the possibility of us ever being a couple after your first anniversary. Yes, I loved you, but in a pathetic Rupert Everett except I'm not gay way. You are my best friend, Isabel. I'd think that you would have a better opinion of me than that." 

"That's not what I meant." 

"Well I didn't do a mad cap rush all the way from Houston to get her and fight with you." 

"And I don't want to fight with you either." 

"Because you don't want to ruin your perfect Christmas." Kyle huffed. 

"I love you, and I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to fight, either." 

"Okay." 

"Okay." 

"So you're not gonna get mad at me for loving you in silence for all those years?" 

"I don't know if I can ever live up to that." 

"That's the thing about love, Isabel. You can't do anything to deserve it. Just being yourself is all that you can do, that and loving me back." 

"Was one of your inflight movies Moulin Rouge?" 

"Not quite." Kyle leaned down and kissed his wife, leaving her breathless. "Merry Christmas, Isabel." 

"Merry Christmas, Kyle. I love you." 

"Love you too." 

"I loves you toos." A small voice sounded from the couch.   
  
  
  



End file.
